Yeah, this is the definitive year that the refs have ruined football for me.

I hear ya, for me its more about the product itself: its not great. There are a lot more bad games than good games in the NFL today. It seems diluted and substandard from the recent past. And the sports media switch from 'team' to 'stars' has been dramatic to cater to the younger demographic that loves individual players over the team. And its so blatantly obvious that the rules favor the offense and QBs: just watch any Cardinals game. Kyler Murray on 3rd and long: he just chucks it blindly up there and more often than not the WRer comes down with it. I don't know, I just find myself checking out of NFL games because of these things and doing something else. But then again I'm no longer the target demographic for the NFL so they don't need to cater to me. I understand this. I'm now just the old man yelling at the clouds.

DITTO....  I'm now just the old man yelling at the clouds.  :) 

Name another multibillion dollar industry who has part time quality control that isn't held to any performance standards.

I'll wait.

@"JustinTime18™" said: Name another multibillion dollar industry who has part time quality control that isn't held to any performance standards.

I'll wait.

What would the full time refs do during the week and for the rest of the year?  

Anyway I enjoyed them gifting us the win at Chicago, it's not like Mike Zimmer was going to produce that on his own.

There are refs that have been there for over a decade. Granted experience can be good but in this case, I feel that they are getting complacent. Refs are going to ref ball.

@"JustinTime18™" said: Name another multibillion dollar industry who has part time quality control that isn't held to any performance standards.

I'll wa

I hear ya Sticky. I find myself watching more classic games from the 70s and 80s myself. Do that awhile and it is quite glaring how the game has changed. Good thing I still have hockey to keep me amused).

For me I am all about the new safety rules. There has to be rules that protect people’s heads. When Tom was posting interviews here there were sadly FAR too many that he couldn’t post and couldn’t even do due to the mental state of some of our past heroes. And he couldn’t even share that info at the request of some of their spouses. 

I love some tough hard hitting football. I love it in hockey. But there is a bad price to be paid later and it isn’t just being a little forgetful. Some of the stories are of people being basically imprisoned in their own bodies.

For that I am all about the safety protocols and the rules protecting people’s heads.

BUT, I will say that enforcement needs to be uniform. Too much is left up to the discretion of the refs and that can lead to all sorts of issues. This last game cersus the bears I think we were being given a clear advantage and it seems as though us winning was in the best interest of the league’s drama storylines as the season comes to a close. 

I don’t like that. Not at all. It feels like we are watching a farce. I don’t need our team given a helping hand. I would rather we lose. And far too often in this last game it felt like we were being helped out.

Or maybe I am just so used to being screwed as a Vikings dan that any calls going our way seems just too far out of the realm of possibility. But even if that is the case my (and your point) is still made.

@"comet52" said:

@"JustinTime18™" said: Name another multibillion dollar industry who has part time quality control that isn't held to any performance standards.

I'll wait.

What would the full time refs do during the week and for the rest of the year?  

Anyway I enjoyed them gifting us the win at Chicago, it's not like Mike Zimmer was going to produce that on his own.

@"comet52" said:

@"JustinTime18™" said: Name another multibillion dollar industry who has part time quality control that isn't held to any performance standards.

I'll wait.

What would the full time refs do during the week and for the rest of the year?  

Anyway I enjoyed them gifting us the win at Chicago, it's not like Mike Zimmer was going to produce that on his own.

@"Vanguard83" said: Had a thread earlier in the year about refs dictating games, sometimes advantageous / sometimes not. Bottom line is THEY are dictating outcomes of drives / games, and Im sick of it.  How many first downs have our “yellow friends” received by virtue of penalty? Last night the Rams / Seahawks “ non PI call, and and subsequent kicking of the ball due to frustration in yesterdays game. When announcers can get it right, but “New York” can’t theres a real problem IMO.

At some point the coaching fraternity just needs to “walk off” from certain refs / crews.   I think only then will they replace some of these fossils in stripes.  The game is too fast for them, and even reviews are no guarantee.....the call & delay & momentum of the game hinges on these guys who are too old to pass a DMV test.

Sad, but refs have killed my enjoyment of the NFL.   Let them play, keep the laundry in your pocket, and dont let crybaby players pander / influence referees.  QB’s suit up too....Hit the little bitches.

Lol agreed.  Give me Joe Kapp anyday of the week 

@"JustinTime18™" said: Name another multibillion dollar industry who has part time quality control that isn't held to any performance standards.

I'll wait.

Porn??

(Edit - espec on the female side...I am convinced they fake it occasionally :)

How many guesses do I get?  

I sont know what the answer is on PI, other than let them fight for the ball, shove, push, grab, feet get tripped up - oh well... Holding? Shit, the Packers O line has been holding for a decade...crossbar the M-Fker and go make the play.

This weekend I saw at least three QB’s get a roughing call, for being pushed (not LANDED ON) to the ground...F - THAT.  We have taken away the OOOHHHHHH! from an entire stadium when a QB gets blind sided.

Personally Ive started watching more of the Lingerie league, it combines two of my favorite hobbies.  Football and Fannies.

@"Vanguard83" said: I sont know what the answer is on PI, other than let them fight for the ball, shove, push, grab, feet get tripped up - oh well... Holding? Shit, the Packers O line has been holding for a decade...crossbar the M-Fker and go make the play.

This weekend I saw at least three QB’s get a roughing call, for being pushed (not LANDED ON) to the ground...F - THAT.  We have taken away the OOOHHHHHH! from an entire stadium when a QB gets blind sided.

Personally Ive started watching more of the Lingerie league, it combines two of my favorite hobbies.  Football and Fannies.

Yea, I have gone NHL over the last few years.  Not a lot of rules to F-up.  

I have been harping on officiating for years and especially this year as being progressively worse.  I watch so much NFL football every week and it just keeps getting worse every year.  Covid, of course doesn't help, with all the replacement player penalties etc. but the flow of these games is awful.  Yet, all the games somehow come down to the wire, after 3 Quarters of crappy football.  

As I have been informed, by many on here, the NFL does not care.  The money keeps flowing and we are no longer their target market.  Players supersede teams and 99% of "fans" are fantasy or betting on player fans.  Again, why would the NFL ownership pay millions of dollars for full-time professional refs when they don't have to??  

The only thing that will change any of this is loss of an audience, and like someone said previously. I’m not the demographic they are targeting.
At nearly 59 years old, I’m not spending a fortune to go see a game or buy merchandise, even my viewing time is way down.
The first Vikings game I watched in its entirety was the Pittsburg game and then I watched the 4th quarter of the Bears game.
The refs have absolutely ruined the game, and they work for the NFL so…
I really think the NFL wants certain teams to be successful and everyone else to be in the hunt down the stretch. They’ve gotten what they want.
But, I for one, just stopped watching and even caring beyond the “casual fan” status.

The NFL already allows two challenges per game with the potential of earning a third. Rarely does a team use both challenges in a game so why not make them available for penalties or what teams think are penalties? The Jefferson holding leading to an INT is such an obvious flag that it would be overturned. Also, teams could then throw a challenge when Rodgers snaps it with 0 seconds left on the play clock (Would need more than 2 challenges per game for that though). I know we don't want to slow down the game but if they aren't going to make referees full time employees then maybe this is an adequate solution?

@"Hawkvike25" said: The NFL already allows two challenges per game with the potential of earning a third. Rarely does a team use both challenges in a game so why not make them available for penalties or what teams think are penalties? The Jefferson holding leading to an INT is such an obvious flag that it would be overturned. Also, teams could then throw a challenge when Rodgers snaps it with 0 seconds left on the play clock (Would need more than 2 challenges per game for that though). I know we don't want to slow down the game but if they aren't going to make referees full time employees then maybe this is an adequate solution?

Actually called that one in advance with my son watching, as play clock was expiring I said “Kyle watch this, they wont call delay of game on Rodgers, and I counted down..4, 3, 2, 1, 0......and......theres the snap.  Sure as shit....no call.   (just like Steelers) Then the third down phantom PI call which continued GB’s drive....announcers even said that it was a bad call..

Time to go back to ‘70’s rules, or put flags on their hips

Meh. I know the refs aren't good but it doesn't bother me that much. I hate seeing them make bad calls but the game is so fast that I usually get over it. In my opinion it's still fairly rare when the refs truly decide the outcome of a game.
I will say last game versus the Bears there was one drive where the refs gifted us two third and longs that we otherwise would not have had, and then we scored a TD. That was pretty bad considering we won the game by a touchdown, but I'm not complaining... :)

@"greediron" said:

@"comet52" said:

@"JustinTime18™" said: Name another multibillion dollar industry who has part time quality control that isn't held to any performance standards.

I'll wait.

What would the full time refs do during the week and for the rest of the year?  

Anyway I enjoyed them gifting us the win at Chicago, it's not like Mike Zimmer was going to produce that on his own.

Did they gift Cousins with an INT when they allowed JJ to be tackled 10 yards into his route, right after he beat his man and Cousins lofted it to him?